Deceitful Mind
by Sereven
Summary: Her life was a complete mess and her memories were little more than a pile of shards. Answers are what she seeks, but only Hecate would be able to help with those, but her mother would not show herself. Tormented by her memories, both of this life and the one before, she struggles through a world of gods and monsters - reincarnated!Harry, fem!Harry, sort of prequel to Phoenix Queen


**Hi there.**

 **I know I've promised to write the prequel for Phoenix Queen with Senna's previous life for some time now. I've always put it off, but now that I have pretty hit a roadblock fort that story, I have come around to write the prequel.**

 **For all those who have not read my other story before, this story acts as a sort of sequel to the canon books and a prequel to my other story. It is not necessary to have read Phoenix Queen before starting this story, but events from here are mentioned in PQ at some points.**

 **So here we have the life of Cassandra Peverell, the first reincarnation of Harry Potter and the unwitting servant of Death. Bound by the Deathly Hollows to do Death's bidding until the end of time itself. Or something like that.**

 **So, have fun with this short first chapter...**

* * *

Oh how much she hated the rain. For five days it had rained without pause, turning the world around her into an abomination of grey and brown. She was soaked, the cold seeping into her bones by now. But even if she had a warm and dry place to return to, she wouldn't. No matter the discomfort, no matter the possible danger and pain, she had chosen this path, this hunt.

Not that anyone would even care where she was or what she did. The life of an outcast was harsh, but it fit her just as well. To the other demigods, she was little more than the monsters they fear so much because like mindless sheep the other children would always follow their absentee parents. Cassandra was different in that regard and that made her dangerous.

She slowly continued her march through the woods, focused on reaching the place where she might find answers. A shrine dedicated to her mother, Hecate, hidden in the Appalachians. There was so much she had to ask, so many questions the demanded answers. And no small measure of hatred and issues she had to get out of her system before the dark feelings would devour her further.

But it wasn't just the weather which tried to halt her march, it seemed as if the gods themselves had decided to mess with her. Even more, than they already had… Monsters lurked around every corner, behind nearly every tree. Small fries so far, the cannon fodder that didn't survive more than a single hit of her magic.

"This trail is insane..." Cassandra muttered as she saw the steep path that followed the rise of the mountains before her. One mistake and she would find herself back in the valley… if she survived such an ordeal.

"Why? Just why build a shrine in the middle of fucking nowhere, mother?" she cursed, as she pressed on. She lost her footing several times, as the mud beneath her feet decided that downward is the way to go for everything within reach. "Couldn't just build yourself a quaint little place somewhere near the civilization. Goddess of Crossroads my ass, you just do this to annoy me and everyone else."

Deep in her mind, she heard a traitorous voice reprimanding her. The voice of a man, one that she was sure she had never met, which made it all the more weird and creepy. This voice had been a constant companion for years, giving unbidden advice, preaching her morals that she found severely inadequate for her own life.

Thanks to the weather it took her almost two hours to finish a thirty minute trail, much to her growing aggravation. But at the end, she could see it, her mother's shrine. The statue of Hecate, or rather the three statues, stood proudly in the midst of the circular structure. Thankfully the place offered her shelter from the rain or else things would have become even more difficult for her to bear.

She took some deep breaths, preparing herself mentally for what was to come. So many questions, so many mysteries. She wouldn't leave without answers. She would find out about what the gods are hiding from her. One way or another.

"Mother! Show yourself," Cassandra yelled, her hands reaching out towards the statue.

The shrine remained silent, except for the sounds of the relentless rain and the bellowing winds outside. The flames in the braziers around her began to flicker, though Cassandra was sure that only the wind was to blame for that and not the interference of a goddess.

"Stop hiding from me! I call you forth, here in your shrine, so you have to answer me!"

She wasn't even sure if this would truly work. It was merely a theory of hers, that the gods would feel drawn to the places of their worship. Hell, she had made more than enough disappointing attempts to communicate with her mother. Calling her out in other places hadn't worked. Not even Iris was willing to help in this regard, even though she was a messenger. Magic alone hadn't done the trick either, no matter what she did or what she threatened to do. From begging, to requesting, to throwing a fucking tantrum, nothing had compelled her mother to show herself.

"Sometimes I am not sure whether you are tenacious or just plain annoying, girly," a male voice suddenly broke the silence. "Your mother won't answer you."

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

He suddenly appeared before her, like a radiant ray of the sunshine that had escaped the dark clouds above. Apollo, the sun god himself. He stood before her, looking every bit like a surfer that had just come from the beaches of Hawaii, with his sun-kissed skin and golden hair.

"Is this better, my dear?" Apollo asked, a teasing smirk on his lips as he studied her. "What a beautiful girl you have become, your mother is right to be proud of you. The last time I saw you, you had been a runt barely grown enough to reach my belt."

She let out a rather unladylike snort, as she heard his undue praise. She must look like a complete mess, soaked and dirty, her hair a bird's nest at best. She had never been vain, it was one of the things she had never been given the chance to be, so his attempts at charming her fell on deaf ears. Not that it would discourage him.

"Hm, such a compromising situation we are in. Far away from any possible chaperone, trapped until the storm passes by," Apollo said, as he stepped closer.

Cassandra was quick to act and tried to fend off his advance with a wall of flames, conjured between them. She wasn't even sure whether her flames could harm a god, especially the god of the sun, but she hoped that it would be unpleasant at the very least.

"What a fiery spirit," Apollo smirked.

"I am not here to become another notch on your bedpost," Cassandra growled.

Apollo laughed in amusement, "Oh, my dear girl, no post would be big enough for all the notches I would have added."

She really didn't want to continue this line of conversation with the god, knowing where this might lead. She was no fool, now that she was nearing adulthood, she was potential prey for these debauched beings. She would not allow this to happen.

"I came to see my mother. I came for answers!"

"I know," Apollo replied simply. "Everyone seeks answers, only a few are truly ready for them. For some people, ignorance is bliss."

"I deserve to know," Cassandra growled, "This is about my life, my past! I want to know what you have taken from me."

There was far too much she didn't know. More than half of her own life was a mystery to her. Memories gone without a trace and no clue except the implied involvement of her own mother. Cassandra had no idea what she had done to deserve this or why her mother had seen the need to do this to her. Why take her memories? Why leave her behind, as a pariah amongst the other demigods?

"Oh no, my dear, you are not entitled to anything," he sang, his face a mocking mask of arrogance and disregard. "Death alone could tell you what you demand and it would pain me to see such a pretty girl die anytime soon."

He stepped closer to her, crossing through the wall of flames she had conjured between them as if it wasn't even there. She took a step back, but for each step she took he traveled twice the distance and reached her quickly. Again she tried to get away from the flashy god, but before she could succeed, he took her head in his hands and made her look him straight in the eyes.

"So much anger, it won't serve you. Embrace life or you will never live," he told her softly. But then he halted. Cassandra didn't know why, but he was distracted for a moment as if he wasn't really there.

Not that she had listened to him in the first place. To her there was only one thing on her mind, to get away from this god. So she did the first thing that came to mind. She pulled out the knife she had strapped to her belt and tried to stab him.

Apollo looked surprised when he felt the small blade press against his flesh. It didn't hurt him, it couldn't, it was just a mortal tool, not a weapon to hurt a god. But it did what Cassandra had wanted. It caused him to release her and before he could grab her again, she bolted, ran away as fast as her legs would carry her. He didn't follow her this time.

An amused smile played on his lips, as he watched her disappear into the raging storm. He laughed for a moment, as he tried to make sense of what he had seen. Then his expression turned grim.

"What a spitfire," he muttered. "But what a grim path awaits her..." He shook his head before he left Hecate's shrine to return to Olympus.

* * *

Cassandra wasn't sure for how long she had run. She had pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion, then she pushed further. Her limbs felt heavy and every breath burned in her lungs. It had been a stupid decision. She was just a demigod, there was no way she could ever hope to outrun a god, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Eventually, she collapsed in a clearing. She fell down, face first into the mud. She turned herself around, so she could look up, as she tried to catch her breath. Labored attempts to get enough oxygen into her lungs were the only sound she could hear at that moment, but it was enough. It reassured her of one thing. At least she was still alive. No answers, but at the very least she had survived another meeting with one of those thrice-cursed Olympian gods.

It had stopped raining, she realized as she saw the first spots of blue in the sea of gray above her. Was this supposed to be a sign? She would have laughed, the thought was too ridiculous to be considered worthy.

"Death holds all the answers," a raspy voice exclaimed.

She tried to jump up, to call forth her magic to defend herself, as she suddenly found herself no longer alone. But her body refused, her limbs heavy beyond what little power she had left to move them. She could only turn her head to look at the newcomer. But it wasn't a person. No human, no demigod, no god. Not even a monster, at least none she had seen before. It was a dark specter, floating above the ground.

"Great, now I'm seeing ghosts. Well done, Cassandra, you've lost your fucking mind. About time!" she muttered.

"Cassandra Peverell, seek out death and you will find your answers," the specter rasped again.

Her eyes widened, as this thing said her family name. No one had done that in… she couldn't even remember if anyone had ever called her by that name. She only knew that it was her name, but little else. But if this specter knows it, what else does it know?

"Who are you?"

"Seek death," the specter insisted once more, before it disappeared, swept away by the wind as if it had been little more than smoke.

"Great. So my insane mind is telling me to kill myself. Just my luck," she sighed. Was madness really the only thing that would await her in the future? She let out a frustrated cry, loud enough to startle all the birds in the nearby trees. "Not like this!"

* * *

Apollo was still in deep thought, as he strolled into the empty council chamber on Olympus. His father had summoned him for reasons unknown to him, though he had a hunch. Hecate's little monster, this enchanting yet utterly unsettling girl he had met just prior to coming back home.

His father was already waiting, sitting on his throne, an impatient frown on his face. Only two others were there as well, Athena, who was almost like a shadow of their father lately, always giving unbidden advice and sticking her nose in everyone's business. And then there was Hestia, whose unobtrusive presence near the hearth was a constant source of calmness and peace.

"So you are finally here, Apollo," Athena drawled, as she stood up from her throne and slowly approached him.

"So are you, sadly, dear sister," Apollo replied, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Now the pressing question is why we are here. This is obviously not a council meeting. The lack of death threats and bickering suggests that this is a more private matter."

"Yes. This time you are the problem, Apollo," Athena began, "You broke our laws by entering the shrine of another god without permission. Minor god or not, your actions are dangerous for all of us. If we allow one exception, we will upset the entire..."

"Yes, yes. Please stop your game, Athena. You can play lawyer with everyone else, but let's cut this short. Yes, I have entered Hecate's shrine, but I had a very good reason."

"Oh?" Athena didn't look convinced, in fact, the way she looked at him only conveyed her rather low opinion of her half-brother. "So tell me, what is your excuse?"

"Excuse," he scoffed, "A vision lead me there. And it was right. I met the girl, Hecate's illusive little daughter."

"She has many daughters," Athena replied, "And none of them are of any particular interest to us. Not even Circe is as troublesome these days as she used to be in the past."

"Yes, but we all should know that Cassandra Peverell is not like the others," Apollo replied.

The mention of the name finally elicited a reaction from his father, who had watched his children bicker for the longest time. Now the king of the gods looked furious, as he regarded his son.

"That child still lives?" Zeus demanded to know.

"Yes. Despite the best efforts and the wonderful care of our beloved family members in Tartarus, the girl is still very much alive. And she seeks answers," Apollo told his father.

Unlike what Athena might think, Apollo was no fool. And he wasn't an unfeeling stone statue either. He had been appalled when he first found out about Hecate's favorite child. The atrocities his father had committed against the girl, all due to a misunderstanding and out of spite… That she had lost her memories was a blessing, one that she would crave, should she ever regain her memories in full.

"Father, we need to act now. Regretable as it may be, the girl needs to die." Athena implored her father, her voice laced with malice seldom seen from her.

"Why the spite, sister? Jealous that one of the most powerful demigods of this century isn't one of your abominable mind babies?" Apollo mocked.

Athena didn't give him the satisfaction of an overly emotional reaction. She stared blankly at him, before she spoke, "We all know that she isn't normal. No child of her lineage should be this powerful. Something is terribly wrong about her and I fear for our all future, should this girl be allowed to roam freely."

"The only thing that isn't normal about the girl is her abysmally bad luck. She has suffered too much because of us, leave her be," Apollo replied heatedly.

"Athena is right," Zeus declared. The triumphant smirk on Athena's face awoke a profound desire in Apollo to use her for target practice, though her moment was short lived, as their father continued, "The girl is too dangerous to remain free and outside of our influence. She must be brought to heel before she can become a threat."

"Killing her is not the way..."

"Artemis!" Zeus bellowed.

On command, as always, Apollo's twin sister appeared. She still had the appearance of a preteen girl, the way she usually looked like when she was with her Hunters. But as she approached Zeus, her features morphed into the more appropriate form of an adult woman.

"What is your command, father?"

"Find me Cassandra Peverell, the daughter of Hecate. Bring her here for judgment," Zeus ordered.

"I will not fail," Artemis replied dutifully.

Apollo frowned, as he watched the obedience both of his sisters would show their father. It was sickening, especially in the light of their usually much more ruthless and hateful attitude which they would show to any other males, he included.

"Apollo will aid you to the best of his abilities," Zeus exclaimed before he left the room. Athena remained for a moment longer, disapproval visible in her rigid posture and the deep frown on her face. Of course, she had hoped for an immediate death sentence. But she wouldn't get that satisfaction. For now, at least. Then she left, wordlessly, just as her father had before her.

"What do you know about this girl, Apollo?"

"Oh, little sis, I could tell you stories upon stories about her and yet we both would know far too little to understand her at all. She is a veritable little monster, with great powers and little to no qualms to use them against anyone who dares to stand in her way. Why she has tried to stab me just a few hours ago," Apollo told his sister.

And he was glad that she had not tried to do anything further. He was quite sure that she would have been able to cause substantial damage. He wasn't sure why she had shown such restraint, she had been more open with her powers… but that was before Tartarus. Whatever had happened there had changed her forever and Apollo wasn't sure whether his sister knew just how dangerous her new prey really was.

* * *

 **A/N: That is all for now.**

 **This story will be a whole lot darker than the usual Percy Jackson Fanfics here. Cassandra's adventure will happen at the same time as Percy's and they will run into each other at many different points in the story, but the plot will only follow her and the gods, not Percy.**


End file.
